Running-gear for motor-vehicles.



No. 703,844. Patented July I, I902.

' F. J. STALLINGS.

RUNNING GEAR FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

(Application filed Aug. 31, 1901.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets$haet I.

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No. 703,844. Patented July I, I902,

F. J. STALLINGS.

RUNNING GEAR F08 MOTOR VEHICLES. (Appliqation filed Aug. 31', 1901.

SNITEQDI STATES PATENT FFICE.

FRANCIS J. STALLINGS, OF EFFINGHAM, ILLINOIS.

RUNNING-GEAR FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 708,844, dated July 1, 1902.

Application filed August 31, 1901- Serial No. 73,992. (No model.)

To to whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANCIS J. STALLINGS, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Eifingham, in the county of Effingham and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Running-Gear for Motor-Vehicles, following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in running-gear for motor-vehicles, the object being to provide means for changing the speed through the changing ofthe gearing, and, further, to accomplish this by means of simple but strong and substantial mechanical instrumentalities. By this'means I am enabled to change the speed of rotation of the driving mechanism from a low to a high speed, or vice versa, or by throwing the speed-changing mechanism to an intermediate position I can permit the motor-vehicle to coast down a declivity.

With these objects in view my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims. v

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a motor-vehicle provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of one of the speed-changing gears with the clutch mechanism applied thereto. Fig. 3 is an end plan view of the gripping-jaws for operating the clutch on the speed-changing gear. Fig. 4 is a view of the shifting mechanism for operating the clutch, and Fig. 5 is a modification.

A represents the rear axle, journaled and turningin the frame B, and (J is the motor, of any desired construction. A shaft 1, journaled in the frame 13, is provided with cranks 2 2 therein, to which pitmen 3 3,0perated by the motor, are connected. On either side of the cranks gear-wheels 4 and 5 are keyed to the shaft and revolve therewith. The dimensions of these gears are preferably three and six inches, respectively; but the size may of course be varied at convenience.

Driving-shaft 7 is journaled in the frame B at a little distance from shaft 1, and loosely mounted on this driving-shaft are two gearwheels 8 and 9, the former being of larger of which the in place of the rims, the disks secured or cast to the wheels. Clutch-bands 12 12 are fitted to these grooved rims, which clutch-bands may be of spring metal and constructed of one piece, having loops 13 formed at their adjacent ends.

Secured to the driving-shaft 7, near the gear-wheels 8 and 9, are brackets 14 14, their outer ends extending slightly above the plane of the circumference of grooved disks or rims 1O 10, and on the apex of these brackets are pivoted jaws 11 11, approximately at their longitudinal centers, although this is not es sential, the outer ends of each pair of jaws being received, respectively, in each of. the loops'13 13 of the clutch-bands 12. To the shaft is also keyed a sleeve 15, which is adapted to slide thereon in a keyway 16 and is located intermediate the disks 1O 10. The ends of this sleeve are enlarged to afiord seats for springs 31, the opposite ends of the springs bearing against the stationary brackets 14. The sleeve 15 is provided with arms 15', and the upper ends 29 of these arms are formed upon one side in a wedge shape, as shown, which wedge-shaped side is adapted to be forced between the pivoted jaws 11 11, thereby causing the opposite ends of the jaws which are received and retained in the loops 13 13 oftheclutch-band to be drawn together tocause'the clutch-band to grip the grooved disks'lO 10, and thereby lock'thegrooved disk and the gear-wheel to which it is socured to the shaft,so that the shaft and Wheel revolve together. Shoulders 30 are formed on the arm to prevent any displacement of the free ends of the jaws 11 11. The springs gether,owing to the spreading apart of their inner ends by the sliding arms 15, thus looking the gear-wheels securely to the shaft 7. Of course it is understood that the gear-wheels are far enough apart so that one is released when the other is secured to the shaft, and while one is always loose, on the otherhand, by shifting the sleeve to an intermediate position both gears are released from the shaft, and the machine may in that way be stopped or power may be removed from the gearing. The sleeve might be shifted to this intermediateposition when coasting down an incline and then shifted to either gear-wheel, accordingly as greater or less speed is required, when power is again applied to theimpelling mechanism. As a means for shifting the sleeve a spanner 18 is provided. This is secured to a suitable sliding shaft 19, loosely held in guides 20 20 on the frame B of the vehicle. This sliding shaft may be shifted back and forth in the guides, causing the spanner to bring the sleeve to anyone of the three positions indicated by means of a bell-crank 2], one end of which is pivotally connected I0 the sliding shaft 19 and the other end secured to a rod 22, leading forward and suitably connected to a lever 23 within easy reach of the operator. The bell-crank lever is suitably pivoted at its angle 2 1to the frame 15. Thus it will be seen that when the operator moves the lever 23 to a rearward position the bell-crank lever will force the sliding rod to the left in the drawings and cause the clutch mechanism to key the gear-wheel 8 to the driving-shaft 7, throwing in the smaller gear. A reverse extreme movement will of course throw in the larger gear 9, and when the lever 23 is in an intermediate position neither gear will be clutched, as in coasting, for instance. Anysuitable brake mechanism may be used, and as such mechanism forms no part of my invention I have not shown it in the drawings.

In Fig. 5 is shown a slight modification in the gearing of my device. In this view I dispense with the two speed-gears 4 and 5 and employ instead a single gear 50 of any desirable size, mounted centrallyon shaft 1 and equidistant between the cranks 2 2. A gearwheel 51 is mounted centrally on drivingshaft 7 and adapted to turn loosely thereon. These two gears arein mesh. Gear 51 is provided with the grooved rim, upon which is re ceived the clutch band engaged by jaws,

which latter are operated by means of the wedge-shaped-faced arm sliding on the shaft '7, as before explained. A fork 25 is journaled on the shaft 7-that is to say, the two legs of the fork pass astride the shaftthe ends of the fork being closed to act asa stop to prevent the withdrawal of the fork from the shaft. This fork is located between and in contact with the sliding sleeve 15 and an abutment 53, formed on the shaft 7, the fork adapted to be reciprocated longitudinally on the shaft. The faces of the legs of the. fork which contact with the abutment or stop 53 are perfectly plane; but their opposite faces 40 40 are of cam-shaped form, located on either side of slot 39 in the fork,through which slot shaft 7 extends, the cam-surfaces extending longitudinally of the fork. These camsurfaces are highest in the center and taper down gradually at their ends, which merge into the plane of the fork. A stop 41 is formed at the inner end of the fork, and a rod 38 is connected to the inner end of the fork. The

fork 25 is normally in a position on the shaft 7 intermediate the ends of the cam-surfaces, the length of movement of the fork being determined by the length of the slot 39. In this position the cam-surfaces have forced the sliding sleeve 15 with its wedge-faced arm 29 between the ends of pivoted jaws 11 and caused them to tighten the band 12 on the disk 10, thus keying the gear-wheel 51 to shaft 7 and transmitting motion thereto. When the fork 25 is being drawn into this intermediate position, the longitudinal cam-surfaces i0 40 on either side of slot 39 engage the end of sleeve 15, the opposite faces of the fork sliding longitudinally against the stop 53, and as the fork is drawn farther along toward the center of the slot 39 the increasing convexity of the cam-surfaces forces the sliding sleeve 15 laterally along the shaft 7 against the tension of spring 31 until the band 12 is tight on disk 10, as above described. The. fork 25 may be forced in either direction from itsintermediate position to release the gear-wheel 51 from shaft 7, the spring 31 forcing the sliding sleeve 15 and its arm 15 out from between jaws 11. The enlargement 41 contacts with sleeve 15 when the fork is' fo'rced to its outward limit of movement and acts as a stop to prevent the wearing out of the fork or lengthening the slot at that end. A similar abutment might be placed at the opposite end of the fork, if found desirable. The fork 25 is connected by a rod 38 to an arm 55 on the shaft 56, journaled in the frame and prevented from endwise movement in any suitable manner. This shaft 56. has an arm 57 secured thereto, from the free end of which a rod 58 extends forward to any suitable leverarm 23, whereby to operate the fork 25. Of course the fork used in this connection might have the cam surfaces shorter than those shownthat is to say, the cam-surfaces would not need to be formed in a compound curve,

but might be of a length just half as great, stopping abruptly at their highest point at the inner end of the slot.

The operation of my invention may be gathered from the description, and further detail is thought to be unnecessary.

It is evidentthat other slight changes might be resorted to in the form and arrangement of the several parts described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do not wish to limit myself to the exact construction herein set forth; but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,-is

l. The combination with a shaft or axle and a wheel mounted loosely thereon, the wheel provided with a rim on one of its faces, of an individual clutch-band surrounding and continuallysupported by the rim, movable means located on the shaft or axle, a pair of jaws engaging the clutch-band, the jaws pivotally supported on a bracket, the bracket being independent of the clutch-band, the movable means adapted to engage the jaws whereby the clutch-band is tightened upon the rim.

2. The combination with a shaft or axle and a wheel loosely mounted thereon, the wheel provided upon one of its faces with a circular rim, of a clutch-band borne upon and entirely supported by the rim, a movable member mounted on the shaft or axle, an upstanding wedge-faced lug on the movable means, a bracket independently secured to the shaft or axle, jaws pivotally secured to the bracket, the forward ends of the jaws engaging the ends of the clutch-band, the wedge-faced lug received between and adapted to spread the rear ends of the jaws whereby to cause the forward ends to clamp the clutch-bandto the rim and automatic means for returning the.

movable member to its normal position when it is desired to release the clutch-band from the rim.

3. The combination with ashaft or axle, and wheels loosely mounted thereon, the wheels each provided on its inner face with a circular rim, of clutch-bands held yieldingly thereon, a sleeve keyed to slide on the shaft or axle, the sleeve having arms on its ends provided with wedge-shaped faces, pivoted jaws likewise mounted on the shaft the jaws engaging loops on the clutch-bands, and adapted to be engaged in turn by the arms carried on the sleeve to force the clutch-bands to grip the rim when the sleeve is shifted toward the wheel to beclutched to the shaft or axle, and means for shifting said sleeve on the shaft or axle.

4E. The combination with a shaft or axle, gear-wheels mounted loosely thereon, one of the gears being larger than the other, and circumferentially-grooved rims secured to the gear-wheels, of clutch-bands received in the grooves, the free ends of the bands projectin g outward from the peripheries thereof, the

free ends having loops formed therein, pivoted jaws supported on the shaft, the ends of the jaws entering the loops, a sliding sleeve keyed to the shaft and provided with arms having inclined faces, the arms adapted to engage the opposite ends of the jaws whereby to grip the clutch-bands on the rims and lock the gear-wheel to the shaft or axle.

5. The combination with ashaft or axle, a plurality of wheels loosely mounted thereon, and clutch mechanism whereby the wheels may be locked to the shaft or axle, of a sleeve keyed to slide on the shaft, means on the sleeve adapted to actuate the clutch mechan ism, a spanner for operating the sleeve, a movable shaft to which the spanner is secured, andmeans for operating the movable shaft whereby the sleeve may engage either one of the wheels or may be assumed an intermediate position.

6. The combination with a shaft or axle, a plurality of wheels loosely mounted thereon, and clutch mechanism whereby the wheels may be locked to the shaft or axle, of a sleeve keyed to slide on the shaft means on the sleeve adapted to actuate the clutch mechanism, a spanner for operating the sleeve, a movable shaft to which the spanner is secured, guides for retaining the movable shaft, a lever secured to the shaft, a rod secured to the free end of the lever, the rod operated by suitable means whereby the sleeve is caused to engage or disengage the'clutch mechanism from the wheels.

7. The combination with a shaft or axle, a plurality of wheels loosely mounted thereon, and clutch mechanism whereby the wheels may be locked to the shaft or axle, of a sleeve keyed to slide on the shaft means on the sleeve adapted to actuate the clutch mechanism, a spanner for operating the sleeve, a a

sliding movable shaft to which the spanner is secured, guides in which to retain the sliding movable shaft, a lever pivoted to the frame, one arm of the lever secured to the sliding shaft and the other arm attached to a rod secured to the free end of the lever, the rod operated by a lever whereby the sleeve is caused to engage or disengage the clutch mechanism from the wheels.

8. The combination with a shaft or axle and a wheel loosely mounted thereon, of clutch rims secured to the wheel, clutch-bands surrounding and operating on the rims, pivoted jaws engaging the clutch-bands, an arm for actuating the jaws, a sliding sleeve to which the arm is connected, a movable spanner which bears against the sliding sleeve when forcing the arm into engagement with the pivoted jaws, and tension devices against which the arm is moved.

9. The combination with a shaft or axle and a wheel loosely mounted thereon, of clutchrims secured to the wheels, clutch-bands surrounding and operating on the rims, pivoted jaws engaging and operating the clutchbands, an arm for actuating the jaws, the

IIO

.arrn mounted upon a sliding sleeve, aspanner name to this specification in the presence of located on and actuating the sliding sleeve two subscribing witnesses. to force the arm into engagement with the pivoted jaws, and actuating means for oper- FRANCIS STALLINGS' 5 ating the spanner whereby the sliding sleeve Witnesses:

is reciprocated. H. B. WEMSING,

In testimony whereof I have signed my PAUL PARTRIDGE. 

